Bundeskanzler: „Wenn die regelbasierte Ordnung in Gefahr gerät“: Merz fordert „politische Allianz“ für den Freihandel
Der Bundeskanzler plädiert in Tokio für eine Weiterentwicklung des „regelbasierten Handels“ und der WTO. Doch bei der EU stoßen seine Pläne nicht nur auf Zustimmung.
Bundeskanzler Friedrich Merz (CDU) has called for a "global political alliance for rule-based trade" in Tokyo, reacting to growing protectionism in the United States and Iran's attempts to block critical shipping routes. Earlier, Merz had urged a defense of free trade in a principle speech in Singapore, urging middle powers to be more cohesive.
In his Tokyo speech at the German-Japanese Economic Summit of the Foreign Trade Chamber, Merz took the political alliance one step further, stating it could "set political impulses and also react together if the rule-based order is threatened," during a speech at the German-Japanese Economic Summit of the Foreign Trade Chamber. He emphasized that the alliance should not replace the WTO, but rather advance the urgently needed reforms of the WTO.
Moreover, such an alliance could confirm that there would be no tolerance for illegal tariffs or coercion, Merz added, alluding to the United States and China. Merz wished to discuss his initiative with all countries "that, like us, have an interest in maintaining rule-based trade," which also means protecting the WTO and not challenging it.
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